Ireland

This summer Brandon and I had the opportunity to meet my parents in Ireland for a week of wandering and exploring!  We found it to be an easy destination for traveling internationally from the US with kids.  There is no language barrier, and it’s very safe and closer than most European cities.  Although Ireland is absolutely unique and special, it also felt familiar, a pleasant comfort while traveling with a small child and without my husband.

Details:

Although Ireland is by no means a large country, it takes a while to get from one place to another on their beautiful, but small, windy roads.  This made it impossible to see even half of the country in a weeks time.  Because we had a car rental (which is a MUST in Ireland), we were able to plan our route around the sites that most interested us.

We started off our stay in East Clare, within easy driving distance of our favorite small town, Ennis, and the spectacular Cliffs of Moher.  We were able to view the cliffs from the top and by cruise out of the nearby city, Doolin.  We would definitely recommend doing both since each had such unique vantage points of such a breathtaking attraction.

Among others, we visited Bunratty Castle and Blarney Castle.  Both had so much for children to do including playgrounds, nature walks, gardens, and more.  Sheen Falls Lodge was convenient to both, and a peaceful, luxurious retreat to the busy days.  We planned to visit Rock of Cashel but arrived after it closed.  Still, we were able to see it from Hore Abbey (right across the road), and Brandon loved being able to run free exploring here without admission, tours, etc..  Check out all of our photos on our Instagram feed!

Notes and Tips:

• We started off our travels flying with WOW Air and had a wonderful experience with them.  We knew going into it that all in-flight food and drinks were extra as were pillows, blankets, all luggage, etc.  Since our tickets were about half the price of the next cheapest option, we planned accordingly and weren’t bothered by this.  On top of the lower fares, kid’s tickets are also discounted!  For how we find amazing flight deals in general, click here.
• In general, skip the fancy restaurants and head for the local pub where children are welcome during dinner hours.  We listened to live music, watched Gaelic games, and had delicious fish and chips all over the country.  The two nicer meals we had are linked below and were both fantastic.
• For a taste of traditional entertainment, attend a Gaelic Hurling or Football game!!  These sports are only played in Ireland and are incredibly popular.  The fans around us explained all the rules and details, and we had a blast being in such a festive and local environment.

Gear:

• This backpack was so helpful while traveling with a child, laptop, and our drone.  It also had tons of small pockets for easy access to snacks, passports, etc.

Hore Abbey

Accommodations:
Sheen Falls Lodge
Castle Country House B&B
Finnstown Castle Hotel
East Clare Golf Village

Activities:
OBrian’s Line
Bunratty Castle
Blarney Castle
Horse Back Riding
Gaelic Football Game at Croke Park

Restaurants:
The Falls Restaurant
Medieval Banquet

**This post contains affiliate links.  We were graciously hosted by OBrian’s Line and received a discount in exchange for drone footage and promotion of Sheen Falls Lodge. All opinions are our own.

If you have questions or tips for traveling to Ireland with your family, let us know!